English Chess Forum

Just a note to the readers that Alexander Grischuk has just won four games out of five, plus a draw, at the Russian tear championship.
On the live rankings, he has just overtaken Anand, having gained 14 rating points, and now stands at 2791.
The everage rating of his five opponents stand at 2690.

Colin, Quite a performance. Do you think Grischuk is under-appreciated compared to say Nakamura or Caruana (thinking of other strong players who missed the Candidates)?

If so I wondered whether it's a style thing, or a question of being just another Russian in the queue...?

Peter, interesting question. I am not really sure. I wait to see what is going to happen in the next few months - and a couple of wins this week will push Grischuk up over 2800.

I suspect that Nakamura in comparison is slightly overrated by western commentators, but of course anyone who is head and shoulders ahead of the "normal" 2700 is still a player of the very highest level. I do not quite see him as a world champion pretender.

Caruana however will, I feel, get over 2800, and will eventually remain secure at that level.

As far as Grischuk is concerned, I am wondering whether he will at some stage overtake Aronian. Levon's game can at times be inspired, but far too often his play can backfire, and his last few rounds at the Candidates is a massive disappointment for all his supporters. Grischuk plays tense strategic chess, and gives nothing much away - again a contrast to most of the players at the Candidates (Anand excepted).

Something to try for anyone who has time at the weekend - play through a few Grischuk games, and see what you think.

Grischuk's time trouble is his main problem isn't it?

From a quick look at Grishuk's games so far from the Russian team championship, Colin's description of his style as "tense strategic chess" seems very well put. Some very interesting games, thanks for highlighting this.

It ended up as a draw between Grischuk and Dreev. Both players had to be tactically alert. Grishuk had to backtrack sharply to avoid getting his queen trapped on b4, after taking a pawn there.

Of the other really high profile game, Karjakin looks in danger of losing against Kamsky. The tactics from move 30 are enjoyable, and well worth studying. Kamsky is currently a pawn up, in a knight ending, but Karjakin has the more active king (or rather, Kamsky has the more passive king). Not absolutely certain that Kamsky is winning, but one suspects that there should be a good zugzwanging squeeze later on.

Karjakin was in fact able to hold the position. Perhaps no clear zugzwang?

Sunday mornings do not necessarily mean quiet chess.

Just look at the game Nepomniatchchi - Svidler! By move 21, Svidler has grabbed a rook on a1, and a bishop on f1 ... and his king has wandered to b4! It doesn't look safe, and quite probably it isn't. Svidler is a renowned opening theorist, so maybe he has seen all the perils in advance - or maybe he has missed something really serious? This is a Scotch Opening. In open 1.e4 e5 games, wild stuff often happens, before both players have fully developed.

The other critical game to look at is Grischuk - Shomoev. Visually, Grischuk's opening looks bad, his knight on d2 being badly pinned on the e1-a5 diagonal. I am sure that a player of my strength (thus, vastly less than Grischuk) would have avoided this pin with horror. Something, one feels, would have caused big problems with ...g5 and ...g4. But, it seems, Grischuk has a very cool head.

These are just two of many games. It looks like a good afternoon (British time) for watching chess.

It's a draw!! By perpetual. Svidler as Black shifts his king between a3 and a4, while Nepomniatchchi gives queen checks fron c6 and f3. "Just theory", but wow!

It's a draw!! By perpetual. Svidler as Black shifts his king between a3 and a4, while Nepomniatchchi gives queen checks fron c6 and f3. "Just theory", but wow!

Shomoev, after long thought, eventually avoided the sharper lines, but now he has to try to work hard for equality. He is slightly behind in development, and at move 20, he is still unable to find convincing squares for his bishop on c8.
Looking good for Grischuk.


Edit - And a few moves later, Shomoev has dropped a pawn.

Leading ratings at the end of the Russian League:

Carlsen 2882
Aronian 2815
Grischuk 2792
Anand 2785
Kramnik 2783
Caruana 2783

Grischuk is just one good tournament away from catching up with Aronian, if Aronian were again to play a really bad tournament. This would not have been seen as at all likely just before the Candidates.

The next really big tournament to watch is the Gashimov Memorial, at Shakmir, Azerbaijan. Carlsen is playing, and also Caruana. Interesting. Nakamura, Karjakin and Mamedjarov will also have chances of building up their reputations. Who knows, Radjabov, after his truly disastrous Candidayrs tournament a year back, may well have the chance to bounce back.

An extra point to be noted, from the Russian League. Dominguez also scored well at Loo, without playing the highest strength of opposition. He scored four wins and two draws, no losses, and gained 11 Elo points, moving into the top ten.